[Ariana Grande (MIKA) {Both}:]
You were the popular one, the popular chick
It is what it is, now I’m popular-ish
(Standing on the field with your pretty pompoms)
(Now you’re working at the movies selling popular corn)
(I could have been a mess but I never went wrong)
(‘Cause I’m putting down my story in a popular song)
Ah, I said I’m putting down my story {in a popular} song
[MIKA and Ariana Grande:]
My problem, I never was a model
I never was a scholar, but you were always popular
You were singing all the songs I don’t know
Now you’re in the front row, ’cause my song is popular
[MIKA (Both):]
(Popular), I know about popular
It’s not about (who you are or your fancy car)
(You’re only ever who you were)
(Popular), I know about popular
And all that you (have to do, is be true to you)
(That’s all you ever need to know)
[MIKA and Ariana Grande:]
So catch up, ’cause you got an awful long way to go
So catch up, ’cause you got an awful long way to go
[Ariana Grande (MIKA) {Both}:]
Always on the lookout for someone to hate
{Pickin’ on me like a dinner plate}
You hid during classes and in-between them
{Dunk me in the toilets now it’s you that cleans them}
(You tried to make me feel bad with the things you do)
(It ain’t so funny when the joke’s on you)
Ooh, the joke’s on you
Got everyone laughing, {got everyone clapping, asking}
{How come you look so cool?}
{‘Cause that’s the only thing that I learned at school}, boy
(Uh huh, I said) {that’s the only thing that I learned at school}
[MIKA and Ariana Grande:]
My problem, I never was a model
I never was a scholar, but you were always popular
You were singing all the songs I don’t know
Now you’re in the front row, ’cause my song is popular
[MIKA (Both) {Ariana Grande}:]
(Popular), I know about popular
It’s not about (who you are or your fancy car)
(You’re only ever who you were)
(Popular), I know about popular
And all that you (have to do, is be true to you)
(That’s all you ever need to know)
[MIKA and Ariana Grande:]
So catch up, ’cause you got an awful long way to go
So catch up, ’cause you got an awful long way to go
[Ariana Grande & MIKA:]
That’s all you ever need to know
You’re only ever who you were
That’s all you ever need to know
You’re only ever who you were
That’s all you ever need to know
[MIKA (Ariana Grande) {Both}:]
{Popular}, I know about popular
It’s not about {who you are or your fancy car}
{You’re only ever who you were}
{Popular}, I know about popular
It’s not about {who you are or your fancy car}
{You’re only ever who you were}
{Popular}, I know about popular
And all that you {have to do, is be true to you}
{That’s all you ever need to know}
(That’s all you ever need to know)
Rethinking Popularity: A Playful Take on High School Fame
“Popular Song” by Ariana Grande and MIKA offers a witty and empowering twist on the classic high school popularity narrative. The track flips the script on social hierarchies, spotlighting how the “popular” crowd’s status fades with time, while those once overlooked can rise above. Through clever lyrics and punchy melodies, Grande and MIKA share a message of self-acceptance, encouraging listeners to stay true to themselves rather than chase fleeting social approval. The song’s playful tone and relatable storytelling make it an anthem for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider or underdog.
Song Credits
- Artists: Ariana Grande, MIKA
- Songwriters: MIKA, Priscilla Renea, Mathieu Jomphe-Lepine, Ari Leff
- Release Year: 2012
- Label: Republic Records